


You Be the Prey and I’ll Be the Predator

by Obscure_ramblings



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bets & Wagers, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Bodily Fluids, Candles, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Knifeplay, Long-Term Relationship(s), Loss of Control, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Overstimulation, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rimming, Safewords, Smut, Wax Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:15:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29963529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obscure_ramblings/pseuds/Obscure_ramblings
Summary: Sometimes the world spins out of control around him and the need to regain a margin of control builds up until Nicky can no longer contain it. Joe can sense the fission coming. It’s been three weeks in the making.The sharp blade flashes silver against Joe’s skin. “Yusuf,” Nicky growls into his side, licking at the sticky droplets of dark red that trail in its wake. Those he misses spread into an abstract pattern on the crisp white sheets below. “Mine.”The thick length of Joe’s cock bobs in Nicky’s peripheral vision, wet tip trailing a thin line of precome down to pool on his lower abdomen. Nicky licks his lips, can practically taste it on his tongue, mixing with the sweet copper of his blood.“Yessss,” Joe hisses out between clenched teeth. “Yours. And you are mine.”Nicky is poised above him now, more than a touch of the predator on display. The cant of his body, teeth bared, eyes wide and wild, boring deep down into Joe’s soul. Joe feels an instinctive urge to bare his neck, but he knows Nicky wants to see him, absorb every minute twitch and flicker of expression that passes over Joe’s visage. He meets Nicky’s eyes boldly.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	You Be the Prey and I’ll Be the Predator

**Author's Note:**

> Title from “Animal” by XOV.
> 
> Thanks to [Lex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cunninglinguist/pseuds/Cunninglinguist) for bending a fresh set of eyes on part of this when I lost all perspective after too many re-reads! (Also, her fics are incredible and I do recommend every single one. Just, you know, maybe don’t read them while you’re on public transport and other people might glance over your shoulder and immediately start flinging handfuls of salt or garlic or whatever in your direction. Same advice goes for this fic, too.)
> 
> March is proving to be a real weird month, and it seems writing everything JoeNicky is how I’m choosing to process it all. This one has taking a lot of psyching myself up to post and because it’s my 10+3th fic (don’t like that number, no sir, no I don’t), I’ll be following it up by IMMEDIATELY posting another story that’s full of fluff and happy vibes, and practically the polar opposite of this. Cos it’s all about The Range™.
> 
> Please do check the tags and back out at any time if this is not your cup of tea, or see the end notes if you want a summary before reading. The perspective switches throughout so we get to see how both of the guys are feeling during such a heavy interaction.

**JOE POV**  
It’s been just over three weeks. Joe had died, horribly, several times, while their abductors worked to extract information from him, and Nicky had had to watch it happen, bound tightly and unable to look away even as the red haze of blood ran down into his eyes.

Joe’s still having nightmares, wakes shaking and yelling, wants to talk about it, process the emotions, relive the moment of overwhelming relief when Andy and Nile had broken down the door that separated them from the rest of the world. He’s already working towards putting it behind him, as he has so many times in the past. 

But Nicky? He pushes the feelings down, hiding them under a veneer of calm. Sometimes that’s enough. Sometimes he can ignore it. But when the world spins out of control around him and the pressure builds up too much, Nicky’s composure cracks wide open.

Joe can always sense the fission coming. Nicky’s temper is short, snapping at small gestures that he usually welcomes; trying to separate himself from Joe, his touch too much to bear; staying out too long and too late; running, always running until the breath saws in and out of his lungs and his legs shake, threatening to collapse under him.

The front door closes with a quiet click, followed by the sound of the lock fastening and the deadbolt being shot through the catch. “In here, Nicolò,” Joe calls from the lounge, where he sits hunched over a tall vase that tapers up in a gentle curve, spreading wider at the mouth. A delicate strand of blue forget-me-nots curls across the glazed surface, paint flowing in the wake of the brush Joe wields with finesse, cradled in the grip of his long fingers.

He hears two thumps as Nicky removes his running shoes and drops them by the door. Nicky’s sock-covered feet are nearly silent on the wooden floorboards when he appears in the open doorway.

“Joe.” Nicky’s voice is just a touch lower than his usual mellow baritone, but the alteration is enough to have Joe’s head snapping up quickly. Eyes wide, he scans the sharp lines of Nicky’s face for clues as to his mental state. “I…” Nicky pauses, throat clicking dryly as he swallows. “I need.” The word sinks into the space between them, blooming heavy with awareness.

Joe is already dropping his paintbrush into the mug of murky water that rests near the base of the vase. He strips off his painting shirt and discards it, walking over to where Nicky stands. Nicky’s fists are clenched white and tight, and his broad-shouldered frame is practically vibrating with suppressed tension.

“Nicky, I’m here. What do you need?” Joe pitches his own voice lower too, calm and nonthreatening. Looks at Nicky’s sculpted cheekbones, the side of his aquiline nose, the bead of sweat rolling past the mole that sits below the corner of his plush mouth, the faint stubble spread over his chin, instead of meeting his eyes. This is not the moment to challenge him; no, that will come later.

Nicky shudders, a growl ripping from his throat, as Joe hovers in front of him, hands a whisper away from touching the sweat-dampened blue spread of Nicky’s t-shirt. At the sound, Joe whips his arms back, wrapping his left hand around his right wrist, spine straightening, stance spreading wide. A hot curl of arousal burns through him, licking at the pit of his stomach and arrowing down into his groin.

Nicky uncurls one fist, slowly forming a claw with wide, blunt fingers. He runs his nails deliberately down Joe’s bare chest, watching pale lines carve into resilient light brown flesh, bumping over the splay of ribs, scratching through the arrow of black hair below Joe’s belly button. A pause, a breath of anticipation, then Nicky’s hand whips down to cage Joe’s half-hard cock over his shorts, holding just this side of too tight.

“Unh.” Joe sucks in a breath, gripping hard around his wrist to stop himself from moving.

“Bed. Now.” Nicky’s voice is low, gritty. Joe would struggle to make out the words were he any less familiar with the rumbling cadence.

Joe takes a single step closer, the heat of Nicky’s body radiating into his own as Nicky releases his grip. Exiting the lounge, Joe walks quickly past the spotlessly clean kitchen and through the door of their bedroom. Their king-sized bed is positioned against the far wall, mint green cover spread crisply over the pale sheets, pillows piled up against the metal bedframe. He stares at the soft surface, hypnotised by thoughts of what’s coming next. 

A hand brushes dark curls away from the base of Joe’s neck, baring the expanse to the weak light of early evening. Strong teeth clamp down on the arch of corded muscle, an arm wrapping low over Joe’s pelvis, pinning him in place, drawing a moan from deep in his chest. Nicky uses his hips to direct Joe towards the bed, pushing him forward until his torso lies flat on the mattress, ass tilted up over the edge.

The sound of a knife sliding free of its sheath prickles against Joe’s ears and he arches his back, presenting himself further. Dark laughter rolls over the side of his neck, Nicky’s breath hot against him. A slick slide of tongue traces the curve of his ear, then there’s a ripping sound as Nicky slices through the material of Joe’s loose blue shorts. The pieces fall down to the ground, tangling around their feet until Nicky stands upright and shoves the fabric out of the way.

“Mmm.” His hum at finding Joe is naked beneath the shorts is approving.

Joe lets out a shaky breath, hips kicking forward involuntarily, rubbing the head of his cock against the soft cotton bed cover. “Uh, mmm.” The friction is not enough, but it’s something, at least.

Nicky’s hand wraps around his throat, putting a stop to Joe’s movement as he jams the thick, hot length of his arousal against Joe’s ass and holds him there, the sound of his harsh breathing filtering directly into Joe’s ear. The flat side of the blade lines up along the muscle wrapped around Joe’s lean waist, cold metal contrasting with the tempestuous heat of his skin.

“Your word?” Nicky grinds out into Joe’s upper back, sucking a mark into the skin there. Joe knows it will bloom brightly for just a few moments before fading, leaving behind smooth flesh scattered with a handful of freckles and flat moles. He shivers at the thought that the edge of Nicky’s knife might draw a path between those dots, creating constellations running red.

“Your word!” Nicky’s voice is sharp, demanding, coupled with a thrust of his cock that catches just right, tucking the head into the divide of Joe’s ass.

“M-mayday!” Joe stutters out, wanting desperately to push back against the fiery heat but knowing that will only provoke Nicky into dragging this out for longer.

“Hmm.” Nicky acknowledges the safe word. “Hands.”

Joe lines them up above his head, pressed flat on the mattress, feels the knife move away and Nicky’s lithely muscled body tense behind him, then a swift surge of movement under his legs lifts Joe up, throws him forward, leaving his hands scrabbling against the metal bars of the bedframe.

Nicky rolls him onto his back, a leg on either side of Joe’s waist, light green gaze colliding with deep brown. Joe swallows, the sound loud in the stillness of the room. He won’t look away this time. Nicky’s gaze is feral, eyes narrowed at the corners, the colour of his irises almost eclipsed by inky black pupils. His pink tongue licks across his lips and Joe has to fight not to look down and track its path. “Nicolò,” he breathes.

The wicked smile that carves deep lines around Nicky’s mouth has Joe thrusting up, trying to rub himself against Nicky. “Ah!” He freezes as the knife reappears at the base of his throat. Nicky looms over him, wrapping each of Joe’s hands, one at a time, around the bedframe. He gives Joe a meaningful look and Joe nods carefully, trying not to knock into the knife as he does so, acknowledging Nicky’s silent instruction to keep his hands there.

Eyes hooded with arousal, Nicky brings the blade up to his mouth and licks the edge. A line of blood runs down his chin and he smears his tongue across Joe’s right shoulder and down his chest, trailing a thick stripe of red. The cut is already healed by the time Nicky reaches one dark bronze nipple, the tip already beading up in anticipation.

Nicky catalogues the expressions that Joe can feel rearranging his features, before leaning down slowly, so slowly, and taking Joe’s nipple into his mouth. He rolls it gently between his teeth for a moment, then sucks hard. Joe’s upper body jack-knifes off the bed, pushing Nicky off balance so he sits back on his haunches.

The knife twirls between Nicky’s fingers. He climbs off the bed and pulls open a drawer, moves a few items around until he finds what he’s looking for. Joe glances away from the constant flick and flash of the blade, taking in the slim shape of a black lighter and a thick, round candle striped in shades of scarlet and sienna. Nicky raises one eyebrow at him, inviting his input.

“Yes,” Joe whispers, then louder, “Yes. I want it. I can do it.”

Nicky drops the candle, lighter and knife onto the sheets at Joe’s side and divests himself of his clothes: first t-shirt, then socks, followed by the thin fabric of his black running shorts. There’s a small, uneven circle marking where the tip of his cock pushes against the front of his white briefs. Joe licks his lips, eyes trained on that spot, a moan catching in his throat. Nicky tucks his thumbs into the waistband and pushes the underwear down in a smooth motion, then resumes his position on top of Joe.

The feel of his beloved’s hot, damp skin against his own has Joe closing his eyes, shuddering as he works to control his instinctive urge to thrust upwards again and again until he spills against the cushioning weight of Nicky’s sweet, round ass. Opening his eyes once he feels a little more in control of himself, Joe sees the hypnotic orange flicker of a flame. Nicky places the candle on Joe’s sternum, throws the lighter off to the side of the bed, then picks up the knife once more.

***

 **NICKY POV**  
Where to begin? Nicky surveys his canvas, tapping the flat of the knife against his chin. Joe’s chest rises and falls underneath him, the pace of his breathing increasing as the anticipation builds. 

Finally, Nicky rolls to lie on his front on the bed, rearranging his position to ensure his erection doesn’t get trapped at an uncomfortable angle. His side is lined up against the hairy length of Joe’s leg, head positioned even with the soft dip above Joe’s hipbone. The candle rocks with his movements and spills a trickle of wax across Joe’s breastbone. Joe hisses as the hot liquid comes into contact with his skin, but the candle resettles, a new pool of wax forming slowly in the now-empty void below the wick.

Extending his tongue, Nicky licks a hot stripe along the sensitive skin just under Joe’s ribs, drawing a small wiggle from Joe as he fights his body’s instincts to either move away or come much closer and increase the pressure from ticklish to firm. Nicky blows a hot stream of air over the wet trail of saliva, aiming to draw out a shiver that will tip the candle further off balance. Joe clenches his fists but otherwise remains still.

Then Nicky lifts the knife. The sharp tip comes into contact with Joe’s skin, presses in just far enough to draw a single bead of bright colour from the tiny puncture mark. Eyes locked on Joe’s, Nicky licks the droplet off the point, then returns the blade to Joe’s side, drags it along the line his tongue had drawn, drawing an exquisitely sharp line of combined pain and pleasure in its wake. “Ahh!” Joe’s teeth sink into his lower lip, pupils blowing wide and cock jumping.

“Yusuf,” Nicky moans into his side, licking at the sticky droplets of dark red that trail down Joe’s side. Those he misses spread into an abstract pattern on the crisp white sheets below. The sharp silver blade flashes momentarily, illuminated by the dancing light of the candle that sits balanced precariously on Joe’s chest. “Mine.”

“Yessss,” Joe hisses out between clenched teeth. “Yours. And you are mine.”

Alternating between gliding the blade across Joe’s skin and lapping up the sweet, coppery blood he draws out, Nicky groans, thrusting into the sheets below him once, twice, before he gets himself back under control. Joe’s his eyes are shut tight, jaw clenched and forehead creased with concentration. The thick length of his cock bobs in Nicky’s peripheral vision, wet tip trailing a thin line of precome down to pool on his lower abdomen. Nicky licks his lips, can practically taste it on his tongue. Patience.

Joe exhales slowly and opens his eyes, fixing on Nicky’s mouth. Nicky traces the shape of his own lips with a finger, catching a smear of blood he’d missed earlier. He sucks on the finger and Joe can’t suppress his shiver this time. It tips the candle, sending another stream of wax spilling over Joe’s chest, spreading across the base of his neck. Nicky savours the sharp noise this action provokes. The candle resettles in its upright position.

***

 **JOE POV**  
Silver shines again. Nicky twists the knife’s point against the jut of Joe’s hip. The white striations of stretch marks, present since Joe’s last growth spurt as a teenager, stand out in stark relief against the small trickle of red. Nicky makes no move to follow it this time, simply watches the path it takes, seeping slowly towards the sheets. The knife lifts up and moves across, rustling through the thick spread of crinkly black hair.

Joe’s balls draw up tightly as the flat side of the cold metal slaps lightly against them. His cock jumps again, trailing a strand of clear liquid from the flushed head. Nicky leans down to lick at this, growling at the taste. Joe realises his breathing has become too shallow and gasps in a full lungful of air, almost panting at the rush of oxygen. Nicky licks again, tongue twirling under the head of Joe’s cock, simultaneously sliding a hand across the vulnerable spot below his ribs.

Unable to stop himself this time, Joe twists his body to escape. The candle lands upside down on the sheets, flame extinguished in a curl of grey smoke. “Nooo,” Joe pants, loosing one hand from the bedframe so he can fling that arm over his eyes, hiding from the sight of Nicky’s positively evil grin.

“Yusuf.” Nicky drags out the syllables of his name in a purring susurration, tone victorious as he moves up the bed. His hard cock hovers tantalising close to Joe’s head as Nicky drops the knife and candle on top of the nightstand, then picks up the tube of lube that had lain neglected these last weeks while he fought an internal battle to regain his equilibrium. He flicks the switch on a small lamp and Joe’s eyes flinch away from the pool of mellow light that spreads across the width of the bed.

Joe peeks out from under his arm. “How many, then?” he sighs, pretending to be put-upon by the situation in which he finds himself. They both knew where this was heading. It’s far from the first time Nicky’s needed to regain control in this fashion, and Joe has succeeded in keeping the candle alight exactly zero of those times.

Nicky’s gaze bores into him, unblinking and intense. “Three.” He rolls the “r” and Joe shivers at the thought of that wicked tongue trilling against his skin. “Over.” He taps the side of Joe’s thigh, and Joe complies, rolling away from where Nicky’s knees press at his side. He lands on his front and Nicky immediately covers him, draping his weight across Joe and mouthing a mark into the side of his neck. He slides a hand between Joe’s body and the bed, hauling Joe along with him as he sits back upright. A pillow is shoved under Joe and Nicky gentles his hips back down, making sure his cock is pointing upwards as he does so.

The click of the lube flicking open is audible over Joe’s breathing, which starts ratcheting up even before Nicky makes contact with his skin. Nicky strokes one broad, slightly callused palm over the slope of Joe’s ass, rolls down and parts his cheeks, making way for the slick-coated fingers of his other hand to stroke and tease at Joe’s rim. He circles one finger slowly, dips inside just as far as the first knuckle, then pauses. Joe tries to shove back, take it deeper, but Nicky must see his muscles tensing: Before he can build up the required momentum, Nicky has him pinned him to the bed with a hand on his lower back.

The frustrated sound Joe makes transitions into a moan as Nicky finally presses his finger all the in way on a slow, controlled glide. Nicky’s aim is unerring and Joe’s breath huffs out as it bumps over his prostate. Grabbing at the bed cover, Joe draws up two handfuls and grips them tightly, wrinkling the fabric between his fingers.

Nicky leans down and Joe feels the prickle of hot breath a moment before the flat of Nicky’s tongue laves around the base of his finger. He pulls his finger out momentarily, then comes back with two, narrowing his tongue into a point and pressing it inside Joe as well, lube and spit smoothing the way. 

“Unh.” Joe groans into the covers beneath him, pushing back against the intrusion, then forward into the cushioning cradle of the pillow. He can feel the dampness spreading below him.

Nicky is feeding small, hungry sounds into Joe’s body as he tries to get even deeper. The noises burrow beneath Joe’s skin, sending shocks of sensation ricocheting through him, intensity building higher as Nicky rolls the pads of his fingers inside Joe, over and over again. Joe turns his head to the side, gasps in a breath, then lets out a broken moan that could be Nicky’s name as he spills, hips working frantically, chasing the pleasure.

The humid softness of Nicky’s tongue moves away, traces a pattern into Joe’s lower back, collecting the beads of sweat that have broken out across the skin there. His fingers come free with a soft squelch and he grips Joe’s waist with both hands, flipping him over onto his back.

***

 **NICKY POV**  
Joe’s cock has barely softened, belying the thick, white stripes of come painted across his stomach and groin. His dark eyes shine, glittering in the low light of the bedside lamp; expression soft, open. Nicky wants to consume Joe, take him inside himself and keep him safe from anyone who would dare even _look_ at him with malicious intent.

Joe’s legs have fallen open and Nicky can see the reddened flesh around his hole, scraped raw, albeit temporarily, by the stubble from Nicky’s cheeks and the fingers and tongue that have been stretching him. For a wild moment, he considers abandoning his plan and simply hiking Joe’s legs up over his shoulders, working his cock into Joe’s welcoming warmth until he comes. He shudders at the imagined sensations, reaching down to grip the base of his erection. The pressure in his chest has calmed by a margin but is not yet fully sated. No, he needs to see this through.

“One.” Nicky’s voice grates out, thick with arousal and the swirling morass of emotions still threatening to consume him. Joe opens his legs wide, spreading himself even further out, inviting Nicky’s attentions. 

“Ready when you are.” Joe’s voice is that particular mix of adoration and cockiness that makes Nicky want to bite him.

Nuzzling against the inside of Joe’s knee, Nicky lets the edge of his teeth test the texture of the resilient flesh. “Unh.” Joe’s breath sounds punched out, and he follows it up with a high whine as Nicky’s teeth progress further up his leg, culminating in a deep, claiming suction pulling against the crease of his thigh.

The florid mark is already starting to disappear as Nicky buries his nose into the mass of black curls at the base of Joe’s cock. He inhales deeply, cheek rubbing against the flesh that’s already starting to thicken up again. It jumps a little under his touch, and Nicky repeats the movement, seeking the same reaction. This time he captures the head in his mouth and gives it a single, swift suck, letting go even before the moan Joe makes has finished pouring from his lips. Nicky mouths down the length, one, two, three, four, five kisses before he reaches the root and sucks another mark into the skin there.

Joe’s hips jerk at the sensation, and Nicky flicks a fingernail against the soft patch just above his balls. The shocked hiss Joe lets out makes Nicky bare his teeth again, eyes trained on Joe’s face. He strokes a hand down the full length of Joe’s long, lanky thigh, then shoves under the knee, tucking it up further towards Joe’s side and making room for himself. Settling on his knees in the cradle formed by Joe’s sprawled legs, Nicky grasps the base of Joe’s cock in his left hand and holds it upright so he can wrap his mouth around it and drop down, not halting until it brushes the back of his throat.

Joe’s hands scrabble against the sheets, looking for purchase as Nicky takes him all the way in, his large nose brushing against Joe’s skin. Nicky swallows around his length and Joe reaches up to hold Nicky’s head, fingers threading through the rumpled spikes of brown hair and stroking against his scalp. 

In response, Nicky starts to bob his head up and down. He reaches down with his right hand to tuck under Joe’s balls, tapping a finger against his perinium. The staccato little beats he starts with always work Joe up quickly, preparing him for when Nicky switches to pressing his thumb against the raised hump and rolling it in a fluid back-and-forth motion. He gets in two more rolls, coordinating the movement with sinking down to bury his nose in the dense thicket of hair at the base of Joe’s cock, when said cock jerks in his mouth and Joe lets out a strangled yell.

Nicky swallows down Joe’s release, throat working to take it all in. He keeps his eyes locked on Joe’s as he pulls off, then laves across the base of his cock and back up to the tip, gathering up the final traces of semen. Stalking up the bed on hands and knees, he feeds the taste of Joe’s own come into his mouth, licking into him and sucking on his tongue. He grinds his cock into the soft skin of Joe’s tummy, rocking against the last red remnants of the blood he’d drawn out earlier.

Moaning into his mouth, Joe leans up, chasing Nicky as he draws his head back. “Nicky,” he whines, but Nicky evades the hand Joe throws out to try to pull him back in. He picks up the lube from where it had ended up next to Joe’s knee, and squeezes some more onto his fingers. Reaching behind himself, he makes quick work of opening himself up. He’s not in the mood for a slow fuck tonight; he wants to rip this final orgasm from Joe and take his come into himself, absorb it and carry a piece of him around forever.

Rubbing the remainder of the slick across Joe’s cock, Nicky lines the head up against his hole, shoving down in an ungainly push that leaves Joe lodged halfway inside. Joe grinds his head back into the sheets, clearly riding the edge of overstimulation that’s unavoidable after two orgasms in such short succession.

Nicky breathes deeply, taking a moment to adjust to the stretch and burn after the hasty prep work he’d done on himself. His erection flags a little, and Joe must notice because he circles his thumb and pointer finger around the heated length, rolling Nicky’s foreskin up and over the bulbous head. His other hand wraps around Nicky’s hip, thumb tucking into the crease of Nicky’s thigh and rubbing gently along the wiry hair there. The dual sensations sufficient to distract him, Nicky feels himself loosening up and he drops down easily now to sit fully on Joe’s lap. 

***

 **JOE POV**  
The slap of skin against skin is loud in the otherwise quiet room. Joe screws his eyes shut and holds his breath. Three orgasms in just over an hour is pushing it, even allowing for his healing factor, but he knows Nicky needs this, needs to feel that Joe is alive, here with him, and always, always, his.

Exhaling in a controlled rush, Joe looks up to see Nicky poised above him, more than a touch of the predator on display: The cant of his body, teeth bared, eyes wide and wild, boring deep down into Joe’s soul. Joe feels an instinctive urge to bare his neck, show Nicky again that he’s not challenging him, but that’s not the right tactic at this point. Now, he knows Nicky wants to see him, absorb every minute twitch and flicker of expression that passes over Joe’s visage. So he meets Nicky’s eyes boldly, diving into the green depths to embrace the core of him.

The feral grin Nicky flashes assures Joe that he’s interpreted Nicky’s desires correctly. Nicky levers himself up then drops back down again, muscles in his legs and ass bunching as he moves. One hand is braced on Joe’s upper chest, fingers skittering across the mess of melted wax that’s cooled against his skin. The other hand is stripping his own cock, movements rough and fast becoming uncoordinated.

Joe knows Nicky won’t stop until he’s extracted that third orgasm, not unless Joe uses his safe word. He needs to move. Bracing his hands on either side of Nicky’s waist, just above where his hips start to flare out into the lusciously round ass that bounces against him, taking him so deep inside, Joe matches Nicky’s rhythm and starts thrusting up. His cock drills deeper into the wet warmth of Nicky’s body and he feels the first glittering tendrils of impending climax start to build. 

Nicky’s breathing is harsh, almost groaning out on each exhalation as he works himself higher, rhythm stuttering and arm jerking faster. His eyes fall shut and his cock spits out streams of white semen, layering in a loose latticework across Joe’s tummy and chest, where it mixes with flakes of darkened, dried blood and lighter red wax.

The feel of Nicky clenching so tight around him pulls Joe closer to the edge and he thrusts up again and again. He’s trying but not succeeding in getting himself there, the heavy weight of Nicky pressed against him feeling so good, but the angle’s not quite right. The frustrated noise he makes breaks through Nicky’s post-orgasmic haze and he rallies himself, lifting up on shaking legs, doing his best to meet each of Joe’s upward lunges. 

Joe grits his teeth, digs his fingers into the soft flesh at the top of Nicky’s ass, and pulls him down harder, the sound of their flesh colliding working him up further. He can hear how rough Nicky’s breathing is too, as he fights against his predisposition to escape overstimulation. Joe gasps out Nicky’s name, needing something more. Nicky responds by clenching all his internal muscles, and that’s enough to tip Joe over the precipice. His yell cracks in the middle as just a couple of pulses followed by a weaker dribble of come shoot deep into Nicky’s core.

Nicky waits him out for perhaps two full seconds before he virtually collapses, upper body mostly on the bed, lower half propped up over Joe’s torso. Joe hears his breath hitch as Joe’s cock slips out in a wet slide. Joe can’t even summon up the energy to make a face at the feel of cooling come dripping down onto him. He stares at the ceiling for a while, blinking slowly, just drifting, not really taking in anything that’s happening around him.

By the time he’s regained some awareness, settling back into his skin as the pinging aftershocks of overtaxed muscles start to fade, Nicky has dragged himself up the bed to peer at his face. Joe offers up a smile and watches the lines across Nicky’s brow relax. Nicky drops his head onto Joe’s chest, kissing his chest in a spot that’s half skin, half wax.

“H…” Joe clears his throat, tries again, “How is it?” Over the years he’s had cause many times to be grateful for the way Nicky can read between the lines. He knows Nicky will understand from those three words that Joe wants to know not only whether Nicky’s need for control and stability has been satiated, but also how Nicky himself is.

Nicky pauses, appears to catalogue himself. Then, “Molto bene.” He tucks in closer, moulding his body against Joe’s slightly longer frame.

Joe closes his eyes and lets himself drift off, the warm weight of Nicky at his side keeping him anchored, in turn.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic features heavy pain play, including Nicky using a knife to make both himself and Joe bleed, and then consuming the blood. There’s also an implied bet of sorts, whereby Joe needs to stay still to prevent a lit candle falling off his body during the bleeding scenes. When Joe loses the bet Nicky then claims three consecutive orgasms from him as a prize, and the last one is clearly right on the edge of what Joe can handle.
> 
> I’ve tried to convey the even ground I see Joe and Nicky as occupying in their relationship; they’re both into this, both willing participants, and Nicky checks in with Joe at several points—but Joe is undoubtedly in the submissive position, and I know that having the MENA character take that role in this setting is not something everyone will agree with or be interested in reading. I am absolutely open to feedback and being educated about any major errors/unintentional offence caused by lack of awareness on my part.
> 
> I love to hear from you in the comments!


End file.
